Feelings and Desires
by Fox McCloude
Summary: After one year together, Ash and Misty decide to celebrate their anniversary as a couple at Cynthia's villa in the Undella Bay, far from everything and everyone. During their stay, Ash wonders if he can take his relationship with Misty to the next level, since for quite a while he's been having very intimate thoughts about her. Pokéshipping, sequel to "More than Meets the Eye".


**Feelings and Desires**

**By Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer: **Pokémon and all related characters belong to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo and GAMEFREAK. All rights reserved.

* * *

**Preliminary notes: **This story is set in the same continuity as "More than Meets the Eyes", but there's no need to read that one except for a couple of references here. Also, as you might have deduced by the rating, this oneshot has a sexual scene. If that's not your thing, or you're underage, you can skip if by going to the **(-zXz-)** symbol at the start and at the end (sure, as if somebody would pay any mind to it, but in any case, you've been warned).

* * *

_**Unova region, Undella Bay…**_

One of the perks of having friends in high places, was that you could always count on them when you needed a favor. Nobody could be more grateful for that than Ash Ketchum, who had managed to make friends with some of the best trainers of every region he journeyed through.

Which led him to his current destination. As their first anniversary approached, Ash had been thinking of the best gift he could give to himself and Misty. The redhead mentioned a couple times how she'd love to go somewhere they could be alone and enjoy themselves, far away from everything and everyone.

What better place than a luxurious summer villa, with its own private beach, and a resort area with plenty of room for their Pokémon?

"Well, here we are!" Ash exclaimed as he took their baggage out of the car that brought them. "Wow, this place hasn't changed a bit."

"Make that a double wow." Misty followed suit with her own suitcases as she gave a tip to the chauffer. "You sure it's okay that we stay here?"

"Cynthia said it was fine," Ash replied. "This is her villa, and she said we could borrow it for a couple weeks. We have all we need here."

"Well, a vacation here is a great anniversary present," the redhead said, approaching to give him a peck on the cheek.

The boy felt a little shiver as his face reddened. For a moment he wondered what he'd done to deserve the gesture, but he wasn't going to complain one beat.

"Thanks for bringing me here, really," she whispered to his ear.

"It was nothing," he replied with modesty, although he was mentally reminding himself of the huge favor he owed to the Sinnoh Champion. She'd been the one who lent them her place.

Even though they'd been together for almost a full year, he couldn't always control the reaction. He felt silly: he was her boyfriend yet he still sometimes was left stunned by something as simple as a kiss on the cheek. Worse, she seemed to enjoy every bit of it.

Ash stretched a bit while Pikachu hopped off his shoulder. They still had exactly one week for the day, the first anniversary since he and Misty started dating each other officially. While the trainer from Pallet Town was still inexperienced about some things, there was no doubt of the happiness they both felt with their relationship. Even if they had some minor mishaps here and there, over time he saw it wasn't as complicated as he thought.

Not to mention how much he loved when Misty became affectionate with him, like right now.

Nevertheless, in the past few months, Ash was starting to have other kind of feelings for the redhead. He never doubted how much they loved each other, and that feeling only grew stronger with each passing day and every moment they shared. But sometimes, when they were kissing or just embracing, especially alone, Ash found himself wishing they could go… a little beyond.

And when he realized it, he felt disgusted at himself for seeing Misty in _that _manner.

What would she think about it? Due to their respective jobs they didn't have much time to discuss it, and in their dates the topic never seemed to come up. He was rather embarrassed at his experience (or lack thereof) in that area even now he was an adult. After being in such a happy relationship for almost a year he didn't want to risk it out on something stupid, but anyhow, the other reason to bring Misty all the way here was so they could talk about it, with nobody to interrupt them.

There would be time for that later, though. For now, he had a lot of other stuff to attend.

"Okay, there's no point in sticking around out here, right, Pikachu?" Ash said with a big smile. "Let's go unpack and we'll later go to the beach."

"Pikachu." The electric mouse nodded enthusiastically as his trainer tried to pull something out of his pants' pocket.

And suddenly, Ash's expression shifted from a grin to confusion, as he placed the hand into the other pocket, then frantically tried to touch himself all over, evidently searching for something important.

"Where are they?" he asked with worry. "I could have sworn I had them in my pocket, I couldn't have…"

"Hey Ash!" his girlfriend called him out from the door, spelling out his name in a singsong voice. "Looking for this?"

The brunet looked at her, and much to his surprise the redhead was giving him a flirty smile and a wink, as she spun around her finger a bunch of keys. He stared at the aforementioned keys for a bit, and then at his pocket, wondering when she could have…

And then he realized: now the peck on the cheek made a bit more sense.

"Very funny. You did it on purpose, didn't you?"

"It's your fault for getting distracted," she replied with amusement. "Or am I that irresistible to you?"

"There, give me that," he said trying to get the keys back, but she pulled them away from him. "Misty, give me those keys, Cynthia entrusted them to me."

"No way, if I took them this easily you're gonna lose them again," she replied, pulling them away again.

Both of them started fighting over them as kids, with Ash trying to take the keys back and Misty keeping them away from him. Meanwhile, Pikachu did nothing but laugh at the show. Some things never changed, but then again, they wouldn't have it any other way.

These vacations would be unforgettable for them.

* * *

_**Inside the house, shortly after…**_

It didn't take long for them to get familiar with the place, even when it turned out to be a little bigger in the inside than it looked from outside. Fortunately, Cynthia had marked the room keys with labels so they'd have no problem to settle in and find what they needed. She even took precautions by filling up the fridge with enough food for two weeks, although knowing them, they might need to go eat outside sometimes.

Ash felt equally relieved and disappointed to have separate rooms. Once upon a time, when he visited the place along with Cilan and Iris, and Cynthia also brought Dawn along for the ride when she was stopping by Unova, he wouldn't have stopped to think about the implications of being alone with a girl in a place like this. Besides, that time he'd come just for a brief respite before the Vertress Conference, and realized that the villa was a tad big for just two people.

Of course, that didn't bother him at all. It was a special occasion and they were on vacation. No training, no working, just the two of them Pokémon, the sand, the sun, the sea, and nobody around to disturb them. A place where they could relax and be just a young couple in love spending time together.

After he finished unpacking, Ash saw Misty had gone out to the balcony and leaned against the handrail, enjoying the view and the sea breeze. She had her back turned to him, seemingly unaware that he was behind her.

'_Wonder if she'll get mad if I get close?'_ he thought, glancing for a moment how her long hair waved against the wind.

The boy held his breath and walked slowly trying to avoid making any noises, his hands reaching forward to embrace his girlfriend from behind. Brock once told him that was a very romantic gesture and he'd always wanted to try it, but he didn't dare even though Misty would suddenly pop behind him to cover his eyes and go "Guess who?" on him.

'_Come on, Ash, don't be a coward. She won't get mad over this.'_

"If you wanted to catch me off-guard, it's a bit late," the redhead said without turning around.

The sudden remark snapped him of his brief stupor, and Misty then turned to glance at him with a big smile as she leaned backwards against the balcony. Ash then realized his hands were still raised with the evident intention, and chuckling nervously he lowered them and put them behind his back. By the corner of his eye he saw Pikachu face palming and shaking his head.

Misty simply walked up to him and looking intently into his eyes, she placed her arms around his neck. Ash was a bit envious of her for being more capable of taking the initiative and wished he could copy her, although the gesture helped him ease up and he placed his own hands around her waist, bringing her closer.

"So then, what should we do first?" he asked.

"I don't know. What do _you _want to do?" she replied. "It was _your_ idea that we came here for our anniversary."

"Well, we could go have some fun at the beach with our Pokémon," he suggested. "And we could also launch some fireworks together at night. I brought a few just for us."

"Sounds good to me," Misty replied. "Why don't you go ahead and get everything ready?"

"And why should _I _be the one doing it?" he asked feigning annoyance.

"Because your darling girlfriend is asking nicely. C'mon, be a good boy and do it for me."

The redhead tilted her head as she gave him her cutest and most tender begging eyes. Ash could have almost sworn they were giving off sparkles. He knew it was perfected act, but it didn't make it any less charming, and he wasn't planning to refuse anyway.

"Alright, but you'll have to compensate me somehow, okay?"

"I'll think about something," the girl said with faux innocence, poking his nose. "Now go, what are you waiting for?"

"Fine, milady, whatever you say. Come on, Pikachu, can you give me a hand?"

The trainer left along with his electric partner, as the redhead remained at the balcony, feeling the gentle sea breeze softly touching her face. The place was quiet, relaxing, and romantic on top of that. Misty wondered if those who said "Love is in the air" maybe meant the atmosphere of a place like this.

And as she glanced at the beach below, it occurred to her he best way to give Ash a fair 'compensation' for his efforts later. A Meowth-like grin crossed her lips, just imagining the reaction of her formerly best friend, now boyfriend, and hopefully in the near future, her eventual lifelong sentimental partner.

'_I think it's time to bring out that new bikini.'_

* * *

_**At the beach, a little later…**_

This was far from the first time Ash went to the beach with a friend, but it definitely was the first time he had to set up camp himself, so to speak.

It didn't take him too long anyway. After changing clothes (a red open shirt, a pair of blue shorts with a black stripe on the side, and some beach sandals), the boy went down and set up their base. He extended a long beach towel over the sand and placed the parasol, then set up the foldable table to put their food. Fortunately for him, Misty decided to not to be cruel and promised she'd take the rest along when she came down.

At any rate, he had to make some additional effort to fill the floating tubes using the air pump. It made no sense to bring so many, since there'd be hardly anybody who needed them… barring a certain little yellow duck in Misty's team, that is.

"Oof, that does it," he said as he wiped the sweat off his forehead once finished, checking the horizon over the sea. For now, the water seemed rather calm, barely any waves coming in.

The boring nightmare for any surfer worth their salt.

"Pikapika." The electric mouse came up holding a surfboard made for his size. Ash noticed he had an expression clearly saying "My party just got crashed".

"Looks like the sea isn't in the mood today, huh? Tough luck for ya," the trainer from Pallet Town said. Pikachu just frowned at the quip. "Hey, but we can fix that, can't we? Come on out, everyone!"

Ash pulled out of his pockets all the Pokéballs he'd brought along. The advantage of carrying Pikachu out of his was that he could leave it at home and bring an extra one, and since they were going to spend a lot of time at the beach, he'd brought his Water Pokémon, or at least the ones he could: Squirtle, Kingler, Feraligatr, Floatzel, Dewott and Greninja quickly appeared, all lined up in a row awaiting orders.

"Okay guys, here we are. Go and have some fun and do whatever you want, this whole place is all for us. And if any of you can raise the waves, even better."

"Wott, dewott!" Dewott stepped forward and palmed his chest as if saying 'Leave this to me', but then Feraligatr pushed him back and did the same.

"Gator, gator, feraligator!" he declared raising both arms as if flexing his muscles. Dewott got angry and jumped in front of the big jawed alligator.

"Dew, dewott, wott!"

"Gator!"

In a matter of seconds, both Pokémon had started a "Make-way-for-me" routine and began arguing with each other. It finally derived in Dewott taking his Razor Shell and getting in a guard stance, which Feraligatr answered by bringing out his own sharp claws, ready to test them out.

"Okay, that's enough!" Ash shouted, jumping between them before they charged. "If you both think you, then just go do it together. It's not a competition; we're here to have fun, not to fight."

Both Pokémon turned around in shame and apologized, although Ash managed to catch a glimpse of sparks flying out of their eyes. The conflict solved, both of them nodded and ran off towards the sea. Ash sighed; the otter and the alligator sometimes competed over who could be the biggest troublemaker, although it generally was because Dewott wanted to be the center of attention and hated when Feraligatr stole his spotlight.

"Those two," Ash said as he shook his head in resignation, before glancing back at Pikachu. "Wanna go with them just to make sure they don't get into trouble?"

"Pika." Pikachu did a mocking military salute and grabbing his board raced after the alligator and the otter. After all he still wanted to ride some good waves.

As Pikachu kept an eye on the two troublemakers, Ash was left watching the rest of his Pokémon. Kingler was content with digging in the sand, possibly searching for any buried treasure the tide could have dragged. Squirtle and Floatzel took a beach volleyball, competing over who'd hit it the hardest, while Greninja for his part, ran off to stand on the rocks at the nearby breakwater, as if on watch for something.

Ash saw no point in that as he didn't believe they'd run into hostile Pokémon, but he still figured it'd make no harm. Warning Dewott and Feraligatr to be careful and not to go too far into the sea, the trainer continued to make the preparations for the rest of the day.

"Now let's see… where could we place the fireworks?"

"Thanks for waiting!" a female voice called out, snapping him out of his musing.

Ash looked up and spotted his girlfriend coming in running, carrying a lunch basked under the arm and over the opposite shoulder a cooler box with great ease. Then again, Ash knew the girl was a fair bit stronger than her slim figure would suggest.

And speaking of her figure…

"Sorry I took so long. You won't believe this, but the freezer was full aplenty of Casteliacones, so I brought some for us," she explained. "Ash? Ash, you okay?"

Ash could hear Misty's voice talking to him, but his body didn't respond, since his mind had become frozen at the vision in front of him. Even though he'd seen Misty many times in various swimsuits, and he'd always found her physique eye-catching, at the moment he was surprised the redhead could wear that skimpy bikini barely scratching the indecent exposure line.

The bikini's top was yellow and cross-strapped, giving a good view of the girl's bust above and below, and even pushing it up a bit. The blue bottom was no less impressive, as while it hasn't scarce in cloth, it had a rather high cut calling his attention to the redhead's wide hips, with the ribbon straps holding it in place. In fact, Ash was somewhat worried they'd accidentally come loose, as the knots looked rather precarious.

The only thing seemingly out of place was the black leather belt Misty used to hold her Pokéballs, but he'd hardly hay any mind to that small detail. Ash was more focused on what was above and below said belt.

"Hey, Earth to Ash." Misty waved her hand in front of his eyes, bringing him back to reality. "What's the matter, are you impressed?"

"What do you think?" he replied. "Didn't know you'd bought a new bikini."

"Believe it or not, the last one was getting a little tight," the girl emphasized her point by pulling one of her top's straps. Ash involuntarily took a hand to his nose to stop the incoming hemorrhage. "You like?"

"Love it," he said as he raised an appreciative eyebrow, almost without thinking. He then wanted to berate himself for being so upfront, but Misty fortunately wasn't one bit offended.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" she said as she took off the belt and threw her Pokéballs into the air. "Everyone, come out now!"

Misty's Pokémon immediately appeared in order: Staryu, Corsola, Gyarados, Politoed, Azumarill and Psyduck. The first three immediately went for the water, the green frog and the rabbit joined Floatzel and Squirtle to make a team and compete against them, and lastly, the yellow duck remained next to his trained, holding his head as if asking what she wanted him to do.

"Psyduck?"

"I think you're gonna need this," Misty said as she grabbed a floating ring and placed it around her belly. "So you don't get bored here. Just be careful not to float adrift, okay? I don't want you to get lost."

"Duck!" The duck nodded before running off, though he tripped with Kingler's pincer as he came out from under the sand. He still got back up and kept running towards the water to join the rest.

Ash then stepped closer to Misty, and he couldn't help but laugh. "All these years and he's still the same."

"The grand mystery, why did he never learn to swim?" Misty said with amusement. "But I don't love him any less for that. And speaking of that…"

The girl held her boyfriend's wrist and without a single word ran along with him towards the water. Finally they could start to enjoy their little getaway vacation.

"There!" the girl shouted as she splashed water at him.

"Hey! Ah, is that so? How you'd like this!" He then tackled her and knocked her down into the water.

They both wrestled each other as Ash tried to keep Misty inside the water, but she turned around and inverted positions, dominating him for a bit. She let him out long enough to he could breathe, which he used to push her back down again. In a rather bold retaliation move to tickle him.

"Hey, no! What are you…?! No, no, hahahahahaha!"

"Give it up, Ash!" Misty shouted playfully.

"Hahahahaha, never, hahahahaha!" the brunet shouted back, but he was losing resistance slowly.

Misty finally let him go and ran off to the ankle-depth part of the water, slapping herself on the rump with one hand as she pulled her eyelid with the other and stuck her tongue at Ash. The boy groaned and ran after her, but the girl didn't let him catch her. At one point, Staryu intentionally got in Ash's way to trip him over, and then Misty took the chance to grab him by the ankles and spin him around.

"Round and round, and away you gooooooo!"

Ash fell nose first with a huge splash, and after spitting the salty water he ran back after his girl. She called for her Pokémon to protect her, and they answered by bombarding Ash with streams of water and bubbles to keep him at bay. To level the playing field, Ash did the same and called his own Pokémon for backup, as it quickly turned into a melee brawl when Staryu and Dewott clashed one against another in the air with Rapid Spin and Aqua Jet.

"Now you've done it, I'm gonna…!" Misty suddenly stopped as she heard a roar from the sea behind her, and a shadow covering the sun. Once she looked over her shoulder, she quickly saw what it was.

"CHUCHUPIKA!"

"GATOR FERA!"

Feraligatr and Pikachu came at them braving the big wave, the former moving as if he was tap dancing over it, and the later riding his mini-surfboard like a real expert. Misty and Ash remained still, and by the time they tried to run away it was too late: the tsunami fell on them and dragged them back to the shore.

'_Note to self, it was a bad idea to teach Surf to Feraligatr!' _Ash thought. For a moment he didn't know what happened, only that the world around him turned wet and wild.

As the water pulled back, Ash coughed and took a while to process what happened. However, he soon enough noticed something else.

Namely where, or rather, on top of whom he had fallen.

"Wow… seems like you beat me," Misty said, once she too realized her current position.

He didn't know how, but Ash had ended up on top of her, and she was holding her wrists against the sand. Anybody who looked at them would think he had submitted her, but she didn't look uncomfortable. Rather, she was amused.

"So? Aren't you going to claim your prize, hmm?" she asked in a seductive voice.

And then, Ash's mind froze once everything sank in. They were too close to one another, their bodies completely drenched and scarcely covered in clothing. Especially Misty's: that bikini of hers barely covered her bits in the right places. And her red hair, now completely loose as the wave had knocked her hairclip off of it, made her look even more attractive.

What should he do? Kiss her? Hold her tightly? Lift her up in his arms and carry her to continue the game? Or maybe…?

"Psyyyyyyyayayayayayaye!"

And suddenly, those cries for help snapped Ash out of his stupor. The wave had also dragged Psyduck and unwittingly knocked his floating ring off of him. Now without it he could only flail his arms around splashing and begging to be saved.

"Aw, for my Starmies. I'm coming, Psyduck, hold on!" the girl yelled, 'freeing' herself from her boyfriend and running off to save him, as the other Pokémon were too busy in their own little water wars to pay attention to him.

As Misty ran before diving and swam to rescue the yellow duck, Ash took a hand to his face. Why was he thinking about _that _again when he fell on top of Misty? When did that completely normal yet not-so-innocent game between a dating couple had turned into such a dirty desire from him?

'_But Misty didn't seem do care, did she?' _a little voice whispered in the back of his head, and he wasn't sure where it came from.

True, Misty wasn't uncomfortable at the situation, and she intentionally seemed to entice him. But no, maybe she just wanted a big kiss, something completely normal for a couple. He couldn't take advantage of the situation just to satisfy those personal desires.

"What the heck's wrong with me?" he muttered as he got back on his feet. They'd come here to have fun and spend time together, and they should be doing just that.

He'd better focus on that so as to keep those dirty thoughts out of his mind.

…

The day flew off for the couple, as it always happened when they had a great time. Before they realized, the sun was setting on the horizon. Although watching the sunset together was very romantic, Ash was waiting more for the night to fall.

After having a barbecue for dinner, the couple continued to play with their Pokémon for a bit, losing track of time, until Ash remembered they still had to launch the fireworks. They spent some time placing the launchers and the fuses, but they were finally done.

"We're ready, Pikachu!" Ash declared. "Fire them off!"

"Pikachu!" the rodent replied from the other side, holding a blowtorch.

The electric mouse lit up the fuse, and a few seconds later the colored lights fired off towards the sky one after another. He hadn't seen a good fireworks show in a while, but seeing they were close to celebrate their anniversary, it was a good pretext to use all those leftover rockets he had from his last birthday party.

His mother usually ordered more than necessary to Pallet Town's party service.

"Boy, I'm beat," Misty said as she sat next to him on the sand. She had decided to put on a hoodie over her shoulders as it was nighttime, just like Ash had put his own shirt back on. "Didn't have such a long beach day in years."

"Sane here," Ash said as he came closer to her. "Not a bad start for our anniversary vacations, huh?"

"Nope, not bad at all," Misty then came closer too and held his hand. "In fact, I'd dare say today was just perfect."

Some of their Pokémon continued playing, chasing each other with some flares in their hands, while others had decided to sit either with their trainers or a little further to watch the show in the sky. Right then, the standard fireworks ceased and some more customized appeared, creating images of several Pokémon.

"Hey, is that a Staryu? And a Goldeen?"

"And many more," Ash said. "Look over there, Gyarados, and Dewgong."

"Wow, they look amazing," the redhead whispered.

More and more Pokémon continued to appear. Some were full-body if they were small enough, like Squirtle, while others were just shown their faces like Greninja. It was a good thing there were so many Water-types among the fireworks, as Ash knew Misty would love them.

And surely enough, when he turned around he saw the redhead smiling as she looked dreamily at the sky. She was completely lost in the show, just like he was in her aquamarine eyes, reflecting the glow of the lights in the sky.

Even if he didn't admit it outwardly as a kid, she'd always been far from unattractive, and the years had done nothing but increase her beauty and charm. But tonight, she looked even more beautiful to Ash's eyes.

'_It's because she's happy,' _he thought, smiling himself.

Idly, he outstretched the arm to place the hand on his girlfriend's shoulder, softly so as to not to surprise her too much. As soon as she felt his touch, she turned around, and he looked away out of reflex, blushing slightly, though she let out a giggle and placed a hand on his chin, forcing him to look at her into the eyes.

"Hey, it's fine, don't be shy," she said with a sweet voice, resting her head on his shoulder. "Really, Ash, we've been together for a whole year."

"I know, I know," he said. "It's just that, sometimes, I still find it hard to believe it. To be here, with you–hey!"

"Sorry," she giggled again. She took advantage of him being distracted in his memories to pinch his arms. "But I think you can be sure this is not a dream."

"Why you… you did it on purpose, didn't you?" he inquired with a grin.

"Maybe, maybe not," she replied with a grin of her own, as she slid a finger over his cheek. "If we don't bicker every once in a while, it's because we don't love each other, remember?"

Ash almost snorted, but she had a point. They always had those childish arguments and quarrels since the days they began traveling together, but now, they were just a little entertainment to recall the old times. Sometimes the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

The irony was how they fell in love despite that. Or rather, Ash found it over time, how that had been one of the reasons _why _he fell in love with her. She could be headstrong and temperamental (just like him), and over the years he realized he loved that side of hers as much as her other facet, of being sweet and optimistic when she wanted to be. Especially when he ceased that habit of making her angry just for kicks, giving her the chance to show it more often.

Plus, that temper of her complimented her being a brave and adventurous girl, someone who'd do anything to achieve her goals, even if she had to fight forces of nature to do so. She had already demonstrated it once the time she saved him from drowning at the sea.

He wasn't sure that was the case for her, but at least in Ash's mind, that past of Misty's personality was, as Brock would probably call it, "part of her charm", and along with her other virtues, made her stand out from any other girl he'd met.

"Yeah, of course I remember," Ash admitted with resignation, next bringing her closer to kiss her hair.

As the fireworks continued in the sky, showing a Tirtouga, Lapras and Wailord, Ash let his mind fly around. He could barely believe they'd spent a year together. Well, they'd been together much longer than that, but now they were together-together. Not just as friends, or rivals, or traveling companions, but much more than that.

And then, the instant that by sheer coincidence or fate two Luvdisc appeared in opposite positions, as if ready to kiss one another, he realized. The atmosphere, the scenery, the moment, everything was perfect. Maybe now it was the time to talk about that topic that had bothered so much over the last few months. Time to take their relationship to the next step.

"Misty… can I tell you something?" he asked. "This year with you has been really awesome. You've made me the happiest trainer in the world."

"Right back at ya," she whispered, cuddling against him as she held her arms around his neck.

"But lately… I've been thinking about many things," he continued. "About you, me… well, about us, you get the drift. Don't get me wrong, I really love it that we kiss, hug and all that stuff, even if I wasn't that good at first."

No kidding; he was so inexperienced that, even after they had their first kiss, sometimes he became so nervous when they tried again, he ended up blowing it. She was never mad at him, though, and she was always more than happy to correct him and show him how it was done.

"What I mean is… Misty, I really love you, and I want… only if it's okay for you, of course, I want us to take our relationship to the next…"

"Zzzzzzzz…"

"Misty?"

Ash pulled away a bit to glance at her. The redhead had fallen asleep, still hugging him. Even with the fireworks still lighting up and exploding in the sky, suddenly Misty was sleeping peacefully against him like he was a comfy pillow.

The trainer let out a small groan. He was about to tell her something important and this happened. Then again, he couldn't blame her; they'd been playing and having fun all day long and they were really tired. It was a real miracle he himself hadn't fallen asleep right then and there too.

"Well, it can't be helped," he finally said.

He carefully placed his other arm under Misty's legs to carry her, bridal style. He was still learning a lot of stuff about having a relationship, but he knew the right thing to do at the time was to take her somewhere she could sleep comfortably.

'_Is it me, or she's a little heavier than the last time? Lucky for me I've been working out.'_

No kidding; it seemed physically impossible for a girl with a slim figure like her to be so heavy. Then again, she was capable of eating as much or more than him when she wanted to so all that food had to go somewhere. Part of it was definitely at her bust and hips, but the rest, no clue.

The Pokémon were still occupied in their own things, barring Gyarados who turned around to see them for a bit. Ash gestured at the marine serpent to keep an eye out for the others while he took Misty back home, and then he'd come back for their stuff. Gyarados nodded and the trainer walked quietly back to the house, his girlfriend sleeping peacefully in his arms.

The walk wasn't that long, but going up the path carrying her was admittedly a bit bothersome. As it was opening the door; luckily Misty had held onto his neck, letting him use a free hand to enter, and then later when they arrived to her room.

Once inside, the trainer gently placed his girl on her bed, and then covered her with the blanket. It felt weird, maybe a little dirty, to be in her room watching her as she slept. Very few times he had stopped to see her that way, but the image was engraved in the deepest part of his mind.

"Mmm…" the girl muttered in her sleep. Ash wondered what she'd be dreaming of. Him, maybe, just like he dreamed of her so often?

A shame he missed the chance of talking to her about that topic. But he didn't have the heart to disturb the image of his sleeping girlfriend, looking so sweet and innocent like when they were kids… and she was in a good mood.

"Ah, who cares," he said. "There's still time for that. Sweet dreams, my magical mermaid."

Before leaving, he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. He closed the door carefully so as to not to disturb her, and leaving the room he went back to the beach to pick up their stuff and their Pokémon.

Little did Ash know, Misty wasn't as asleep as he thought. She was admittedly tired, and she did intentionally hug Ash so he would carry her back to her room. It was a really sweet gesture of him and she enjoyed every second, but she wasn't planning to tell him that.

Besides, there was another thing in the redhead's mind. He didn't know, but she'd overheard every single word he tried to tell her, and the boy's intent was quite obvious. It seemed he just was trying to find the best moment to bring up that topic to her.

Knowing him, maybe he thought she'd take it the wrong way. Little did he know, Misty had been wishing to make their relationship more intimate as well. She could have told him a long time ago, but she wanted to see if Ash was brave enough to openly ask her.

'_Ash, you're still as innocent as ever. But it's nice to see you want to behave like an adult. Let's see if you dare to give that step.'_

She wouldn't refuse in any case. He had made her really happy during that year, and she was more than ready to thank him. All he had to do was to ask her.

* * *

_**One week after…**_

After the first night, the days went one after another. When they weren't at the beach, they'd go sightseeing together to know the local spots. Tourism around town was a good alternative, plus it was a good chance to buy some souvenirs.

However, that day before going out to town, Ash's stomach demanded noisily to be filled. As he opened the fridge, the trainer saw the food that supposedly had to last two weeks was starting to run out as the first week ended, so they'd have to buy some to make up for it. They still had enough to make do today and tomorrow, but upon opening the freezer, he was in for another not-so-nice surprise.

"Misty, you ate the Casteliacones by yourself again?" he called out.

"Sorry, couldn't resist!" she replied with a giggle.

Seriously, there were enough for both of them, yet Misty had eaten most of them by herself. At least she was nice enough to leave the last one for him, but was it really that hard?

After eating the last cone before his girlfriend changed her mind, the boy grabbed a couple of bread slices, some veggies, cheese and bacon, and a few jars containing mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard. Enough for a big sandwich, and he left the ketchup for Pikachu so he could have a feast too.

"Let's dig in!" he said as he squished between his hands the sandwich to compress it, and Pikachu sat over the table and emptied the ketchup jar's contents directly into his mouth.

As Ash munched his sandwich, without any hurry to taste it as much as possible, he let his mind fly and get lost in his memories. That day it was exactly one year since they both started dating. He'd never forget it: after Misty won the Whirl Cup defending her champion title, and closed once and for all that chapter of a bad relationship, they both finally felt brave enough to gone one step beyond towards a future together. It was scary at first, but in the end, it turned out better than he imagined.

Again, Ash was grateful for having friends in high places. They'd gotten themselves a table for two just for that night, at one of the most elegant restaurants in town. The perfect spot for a romantic night, although the only restriction was the dress code. He'd have to pull out the suit his mother had packed for him just for the occasion.

"Hey, that sandwich looks yummy," Misty said as she walked into the kitchen.

Ash saw his girlfriend's hungry stare; a silent way of saying "Can I have a bite?" Once upon a time he'd have told her to make his own, but something in him made him take a small bit and hand it to her. To share is to care after all.

"Just one bite," he replied as he kept the rest for himself. "There's still enough to make one or two if you want more."

"Aw, aren't you a stingy one?" Misty joked as she grabbed the piece. "Aren't we supposed to share everything?"

"Yeah, like you shared the Casteliacones with me," he reminded her, biting his sandwich so hard that a bit of the sauce dripped out of it.

"Touché," the girl replied, quickly munching her own bit and swallowing after a few seconds. "Changing the topic, you ready for tonight?"

The redhead emphasized her words as she sat on the table in front of him, crossing her legs suggestively. Many years ago, Ash would have been too distracted eating to give more than a cursory glance. But now, well, the girl's wide hips didn't lie when they demanded his attention, and he had no choice but to give it.

"Of course, what about you?" he said. "We're supposed to use elegant clothes there, but you still haven't shown me your dress."

"Why ruin the surprise?" The redhead smiled.

Ash chuckled. Clearly Misty wanted to give a strong impression and thus she held it back until the last moment. Well, he'd been waiting the whole week, a few more hours wouldn't hurt. And no matter what kind of dress she'd picked, he was sure she'd look stunning in it.

Finishing his sandwich quickly to avoid distractions, Ash stood up and had Pikachu ride back on his shoulder once we emptied the ketchup jar. Satisfied and with his stomach full, Ash finished his lunch with a bottle of Moo Moo Milk.

"The fridge is almost empty, so we'll go buy some food to fill it," Ash said. "Is there something you need, just in case?"

"No, but thanks for asking," Misty said as she grabbed a slice of frozen pizza before getting it into the microwave. "I think I'll take our Pokémon to the resort area, if you're okay with that. That way we can be at ease tonight."

"Sounds good." Ash nodded. "Well, Pikachu, it's just gonna be you and me shopping today, is that okay?"

"Pikapika, pikachu," the electric rodent replied, making Ash frown a little before smirking in amusement.

"What did he say?" Misty inquired.

"I think he wants me to buy some snacks. Is that it?" Ash asked, and Pikachu confirmed it with a nod. "Okay, we'll see if we can find something out there."

"Hold on." Misty suddenly opened her own bag and tossed a card at him. "Since you're at it, bring some snacks for my Pokémon too. We'd better leave them enough for all night long."

Ash took the card a bit confused, but he nodded and tucked it into his pocket. He gave his girlfriend a little kiss and left the villa with his partner going to town. This shouldn't take too long.

…

"That took way longer than I thought," Ash said, carrying four bags full of cans and boxes. Two of them were held tightly by the arms, while the other two hanged from his wrists.

Pikachu meanwhile was also dragging a bag of his own, the one containing the snacks he wanted to buy, and then some. The hypermarket they visited was so large they got lost a couple times, which was part the reason they took longer to get out. The only bright side was that at least he didn't have to empty his own pockets to pay the snacks for Misty's Pokémon, especially the load from the ones destined for Gyarados.

"Misty, I'm back!" he called, but the redhead didn't reply. "Misty?"

After calling out for her a couple times with no response, Ash figured she'd probably be having fun at the beach by herself. He'd have joined her if it wasn't because at the moment he just wanted to rest from that long walk.

The trainer stuffed the food into the fridge and took Pikachu outside to leave him at the resort area with the other Pokémon, along with the snacks they'd brought for them. With them relaxing there, Ash and Misty would have full liberty to enjoy their anniversary dinner.

"Ahhh, I'm beat," Ash said as he dropped himself at the living room's couch.

Checking the clock on the wall, he saw it was 3:34 pm. The reservation at the restaurant was for 8:00, so he had little more than four hours to rest until then. Though it would be a rather boring rest without Misty around, and he wasn't in the mood to just watch the TV.

Maybe he could go take a bath and then think what he'd do until dinnertime. Yeah, he'd do that.

Without further ado he left to get his bathing stuff at his room, he stripped of his clothes and donned a robe with blue and white stripes. Despite having several rooms, the villa had only one big shared bathroom, with independent entrances but connected to a large common area in the center, with a middle-sized pool with several faucets with hot and cold water, and foam with different aromas. They still haven't had the chance to try them all.

Well, maybe now he could try one or two new ones, so he opened the door and let himself in…

… and then he stood in the doorway, his hand still on the doorknob when he saw there was somebody else there.

"Eh?"

The black-haired young man remained stiff, unable to move a muscle and without any coherent thoughts making their way into his head. Misty looked just as surprised as him, standing right where she was and staring at him with an unreadable expression in her face. He'd just caught her while she was drying herself, and the only things covering her parts were her long hair, and the towel hanging over her shoulders.

Even so, the fact the girl had her arms lifted up and her hands behind her back, and the towel didn't cover her wide hips and long legs, slightly flexed as if she posed for a photo, didn't help in containing the brunet's hidden desires. His eyes momentarily gazed at the girl's bust, slightly exposed behind the towel and her still dripping long red hair. The thought of nothing else being behind that piece of cloth quickly took over his mind.

Though a few seconds later it was kicked out by his rational part as well as his sense of physical integrity.

'_Oh crap, now what do I do? She's gonna yell at me and hit me for being a pervert!'_

His rational part screamed at him to turn around before Misty snapped out of her own stupor and react, since while it was delayed he knew how bad she could take something like that. But the other, the one fueled by those secret and dirty desires he felt inside, forced him to stand and admire the beauty in front of him, and also urging him to jump over her and make her his like never before.

How could he be thinking about such things? That was no less than sexual harassment, and he wasn't that kind of man, let alone towards the woman he loved.

"So?" Misty's voice snapped him out of his self-induced shock. "You planning to stay there enjoying the show all day?"

"Eh?" As he shook his head, Ash realized something else. Misty's neutral face had morphed into her typical cheeky and flirty grin, though she did lower her arms to cover herself a bit and protect her modesty better.

"Hahaha, you should have seen your face, it was priceless," the girl continued. "And you better cover your nose, I think you're about to suffer a hemorrhage."

Ash involuntarily took a hand to his nose, although the hemorrhage thing turned out just trolling on her part. As much as he loved to see her laughing, he did find it annoying when she laughed _at him. _

Once he could clear his thoughts, he crossed his arms as he realized something else. "What are you doing here? This is _my _entrance to the bathroom, yours is on the other side!"

"Sorry, but I regret nothing," she replied with a triumphant voice, as she walked towards him carefully only covering the essentials with her towel. "But well, I'm done here so the bathroom is all yours. Give me a shout if you need someone to wash your back."

The redhead crossed the same door he entered through, evidently because it was closer and also to avoid turning her back at him and show him a bit more than she wanted. Ash didn't get why he was so puzzled: the bikini Misty wore at the beach left less to the imagination than the towel she was wearing right now. It wasn't like he hadn't seen more than that before.

'_Is that what you're worried about?'_ he asked himself while he submerged into the center pool.

…

Meanwhile outside, Misty crossed the hallway with no hurry until she returned to her room, and finished drying there before getting dressed. She sat before the mirror and grabbed a hairbrush to comb her hair, as she hummed a song and continued to laugh at her little joke.

"Really, Ash. I wonder, what were you thinking at the time?"

The redhead saw clearly the look in her boyfriend's eyes. She'd noticed many times, and not just in the past few days when they were at the beach and he saw her in bikini. While she wasn't as much of a showoff with her looks as her older sisters, the truth was that she worked hard to be in shape and look attractive for Ash. It made her happy to notice that he liked what he saw.

After the other night at the beach, Ash hadn't brought up that topic again. While the joke was funny at the time, Misty now was regretting not giving him an answer when she had the chance. Now that it didn't come up again, her boyfriend was making things difficult for them. So she tried to give him a little push, thinking about how she could get him into an embarrassing situation, maybe so he could let out those low passions he tried to hold back.

"It was fun to see his face, yet…"

Even if it was just a little joke, she wouldn't have minded one bit if Ash decided to give in to his desires right there and then, especially because she was having trouble holding her own, waiting for him to give the first step.

'_I wish you had accepted my offer to wash your back. I'd gladly have done it.'_

Misty left the hairbrush on the night table, and crossed her arms to hold her shoulders as she glanced herself on the mirror. She wouldn't say it out loud, but she did find enticing the idea of dragging Ash into the bathroom's pool and make love with him in that place. Or perhaps on the beach, in some hot springs… or somewhere else inside or near the water.

Those fantasies had become recurring since she gave him a surprise kiss while they were diving; it was not just romantic… it was extremely exciting too.

"We need to try that sometime," she said, giggling at herself.

Of course, the first thing was to get Ash to give the first step. She could do it herself, but just this once, she wanted him to be the one to do so.

* * *

_**Hours later…**_

Ash remained in his room for the rest of the afternoon, until the clock chimed 7:00 pm. During that time, the couple focused on getting dressed for the dinner, as they awaited the car to take them to the restaurant.

He was grateful that his mother had picked a good suit for the occasion. He'd be wearing a dark blue, three-piece suit with a white shirt and a red bowtie, with black dress shoes. Seeing himself on the mirror, the trainer from Pallet Town wondered if he should fix his hair just a little, since it'd grown quite a bit and he didn't have much time to trim it down. The rebel hairs refused to submit under the comb, and he unfortunately had no gel to keep them down.

"Ah, who cares," he said as he decided to leave it as it was. Otherwise, he looked fairly good, even if he said so himself. "Well, guess I'm ready. Just one more thing."

All he had to do was to don his jacket and the suit would be complete. He'd left it by the rack after unpacking it, and it'd been there since then.

However, as soon as he put a hand on it, he noticed there was something inside one of the pockets as he palmed it. "What's this?"

He reached into it to extract the contents, and he found two things. The first, a folded card with _"From Mom"_ written, and a little box of…

"No way, Mom, seriously?" Ash quickly unfolded the card. The message said _*Just a precaution. I don't feel like being a granny yet."_Was he being so obvious?

"What takes you so long?"

His girlfriend's voice pulled him back to Earth, and he turned to see her. The vision awaiting him left him completely dumbfounded as he looked at her from head to toe.

Misty was wearing an aquamarine dress, of a similar shade as her eyes. It was skin-tight from the waist up, having a V-shaped cleavage highlighting her bust, held in place by a pair of thin straps framed with a stole of sorts around her neck. Her arms were covered in long gloves leaving her shoulders bare. She'd tied her hair in her side ponytail, and she also wore a pair of tear-shaped earrings. The skirt was somewhat loose, long from behind and short on the front, leaving the girl's long legs free to be seen in all their splendor with her high heels. She wore almost no makeup, barring some lipstick and a slight eyeshade that was only noticeable from up close.

She looked really gorgeous. He wasn't surprised that she decided to guard it so much; that was the effect she was aiming for, and she succeeded with flying colors.

"Impressed?" she asked in amusement, turning around so he could get a full view of her dress. "I've been waiting for a special occasion to wear it."

"I'm glad you did, Ash said with a grin. "You look… amazing."

Misty smiled too, although for a moment she looked at his hand, arching an eyebrow with curiosity. Noticing that, Ash quickly hid the hand behind the back, along with the incriminating evidence.

"What do you have there?" she asked.

"Nothing!" he assured, with a voice a little higher than he meant to. "Just… a gift mom left in the suit for me. I just found it now."

"Oh…" she replied with a curious glance. Ash prayed inwardly so she would buy the lame (though technically true) excuse and wouldn't press the issue. Fortunately, she did. "Well, I'm almost ready. I just need the final touch."

Misty came closer and opened a small box she was carrying. Inside, there was a silver choker with a blue tear-shaped jewel, which reminded Ash of the Cascade Badge, if just a little brighter.

"Could you put it on me?" she asked, giving him her sweetest smile she could muster.

Ash swallowed, but he made an effort to smile back and nodded. He carefully grabbed the jewel and extracted it from the box, as Misty closed her eyes and raised her chin in expectation. As he placed it, Ash felt Misty shivering slightly when his fingers touched the back of her neck, and he involuntarily left them there a couple seconds more after he clasped it into place.

He didn't know why he had that sensation, but he liked it.

"Looks perfect on you," he said to break the silence. Misty opened her eyes and touched the choker, smiling at her boyfriend's compliment.

"Thanks, you deserve a prize for that," she said as she planted a soft kiss on him. "Now, let me help you with this here."

The girl grabbed his bowtie to put it in the right spot, and then grabbed the jacket so as to help him put it on. Ash put up no resistance, and once she was done he offered his arm to escort her out of the villa.

Right on time, as they saw the lights of their car approaching. The chauffer parked and opened the door back for them.

"So? You ready to celebrate our first anniversary?" Misty asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ash replied. "After you."

Misty entered the car, having to carefully pull back her dress' skirt, so that Ash wouldn't sit on top of it. Closing the doors, the chauffer went back to the wheel and got the car started, ready to take them to the restaurant.

At long last, the grand night. _Their_ grand night.

…

The drive to the restaurant was rather short-lived. For those who were used to travel on foot, going by car was an almost alien experience, although in this case necessary, since Misty would have a hard time walking all the way from the villa and back while wearing heels.

The restaurant in question was called _"Le Wow". _Seemingly a branch from a rather famous Kalosian chain that was expanding to other regions. Ash never visited the original, so he had no idea of what to expect there.

As they left the car, they both approached the entrance. An older man in an elegant suit, with a thin moustache and a monocle awaited them, holding a tablet in his hands.

"_Bonsoir, _welcome to _Restaurant Le Wow," _he greeted them with a thick Kalosian accent. "Do you have _réservation_?"

"Er… for Misty Waterflower and Ash Ketchum?" Ash asked. The man verified in his tablet, tapping page after page searching for their names on the list. A few seconds later, he nodded.

"_Oui, _table for two, 8:00 pm. Please come this way, _s__'il vous plaît_."

The man led them inside the place, which was a fairly bit bigger in the inside than it looked outside. Though that was probably because there weren't many people at the time, save for a few couples older than them, the staff, and a little orchestra playing live music. A relaxed and romantic ambient, if they ever saw one.

The table they reserved was by the terrace, giving them an excellent view of the city's night lights. While there was a bit of the night air's cold, at that time of the year it felt very nice.

"Wow," Misty said as she looked by the handrail. "The view here is really beautiful."

"It's not Nimbasa City, but it's not too bad," Ash added. "Though the view there is much better, especially from the Ferris Wheel at the amusement park."

"You have to take me there sometime. Next year, maybe?"

He smirked. "Sounds good to me."

The couple sat at their table, and a few minutes later the waiter brought the menus for them. They took their time to read them; the dishes were a bit expensive, though they had enough to afford a full course and leave a good tip. Ash was a bit hesitant when Misty asked for some _champagne_, though she reminded her they were both adults and there was nothing wrong with allowing themselves some liquor, just for that night.

"C'mon, Ash, a little drunk never hurt anyone," Misty said, intertwining her fingers and resting her chin on them.

"I don't know, the last time I tried it I almost spat it out," he replied. He wasn't joking: he had to pretend he'd just accidentally choked because it tasted awful.

"It's an acquired taste. If you get through the first sip, the rest isn't too bad," Misty said. "It's a special night and we have to make a toast, don't you think?"

Once they brought the orders, Misty raised her glass. Ash hesitated for a moment but he finally decided "If I must" and followed suit. If it was for her, swallowing a bitter drink wasn't a big sacrifice after all.

"To our first anniversary, and many more to come," the redhead said.

"And for the two of us. Cheers." He then clinked his glass against hers.

Misty swallowed her drink almost immediately, while Ash took a couple seconds to imitate her, figuring it'd be best to do it fast to avoid the bad taste. He admitted that after the little burn in his throat was gone, it wasn't too bad, maybe because he was prepared.

The dinner went rather quietly. Even though the courses were rather delicious, the couple had to hold back at the impulse of competing over who could finish faster. Ash himself was surprised that he could follow proper etiquette for a place like that, even if he wasn't used to it.

Paradoxically, the quietness didn't make it boring at all. Even though they barely crossed words with each other during the meal, the relaxing atmosphere and the sweet music made it rather nice. Even Ash admitted it was a good change of pace, to take things easier and enjoy life, even more so with the person he loved the most. Seeing Misty so happy made every cent he sacrificed to seem worthless in comparison.

"God, I'm stuffed," Misty said as she reclined over her seat and held her stomach.

"Really? I still have room for dessert," Ash said as if challenging her.

She seemed to take it that way. "Geez, I almost forgot. Well, I have an extra stomach for dessert too."

"You sure? Won't you put on some weight or something?" Ash commented.

"Not if I keep working out," she replied. "Why, are you worried about my figure, hmm?"

Ash snickered, though he did feel a little blush, and not because of the alcohol. That said, part of him was a bit concerned over Misty ruining her perfect figure. Not that he would love her any less just because of one or two extra pounds, but he admittedly loved to admire those curves.

"It's been a lovely night," Misty said after a bit. "I'm sorry you had to get so bored because of me."

"Nah, this wasn't boring in the least," he confessed. "I was too distracted for that."

"Distracted with what? With the food? Or maybe… with me?"

The girl said her last word with a suggestive voice, while at the same time moving her gloved hand towards him. She walked her fingers over the table until she touched Ash's hand, who stared into her eyes. He said nothing, but he smiled in response to her question.

"You know, we still have half an hour before the car comes to pick us up," Misty commented. "Would you like to do something else tonight?"

"Something else?" Ash asked. Was she talking about…?

"There's a little park right next door. We could… have a walk under the moonlight, just for a bit."

"Oh… sure, I don't see why not."

Misty gave him an odd look. It wasn't accusing or anything, but knowing her, she'd probably guessed what he was thinking when she suggested they did "something else". Was he that easy to read?

They both asked for a slice of chocolate cake with strawberries and cream for the go, and after asking for the bill, they thanked for the service with a juicy tip. They left the place calmly and walked towards the aforementioned park. Right then it was cleared of people, which made sense given the hour. Ash had to admit he was a bit nervous about being there, alone with Misty, and no Pokémon for protection.

Hadn't it been for the illumination he'd be worried someone could pop out and ambush them at the worst time.

"So then, Ash…" the redhead suddenly spoke to break the silence. "We've been dating for an entire year, haven't we?"

"Give or take a few hours, I guess," he said as he chuckled nervously.

Misty chuckled too and she slid a hand over his torso, placing it between his shirt and jacket. "I've been thinking… there are so many things I want to do with you. So much I want to share. So much…" she approached dangerously while making a dramatic pause. "…that I _want_ _you."_

Ash was left frozen right then. Did he hear clearly? Had she said "I want you"?

"M-Misty… what do you…? Hey-hmmm!"

The girl didn't let him finish; she just held him by the chin to give him a greatly passionate kiss. She even went the extra mile to open her mouth just a bit to get her tongue into his.

They'd kissed each other many times, but never that way. Was that what they called a Kalosian kiss? He'd never dared to try that out of fear of making her uncomfortable… but now he had to admit he liked the contact.

Nevertheless, he was forced to break it off when he needed air. That wasn't right, he couldn't have those thoughts about Misty… but she'd done so voluntarily right now. It wasn't wrong if they both wanted it.

"Errr… Misty…"

"Shhhh." She placed a finger on his mouth. "You don't need to say anything. Just… relax and leave everything to me…"

The girl pushed him forward, forcing him to step back slowly. A cursory glance down below let the brunet know she was swiveling her hips with style, and he swallowed at the realization that he was enjoying the view.

His back finally found a wall and could step back any further. He didn't know what was more worrisome: the fact of being literally between his girlfriend and a hard place, or that he wasn't as uncomfortable about it as he should be.

"Misty… are you alright?"

"Me? I'm perfectly fine," she said. "The question is… are _you_?"

Ash wanted to say "Yes", but the word didn't come out of his throat. What was going on with him? Misty wasn't… _that_ kind of woman. She could be passionate and determined, but never as… bold as she was being right now. That made no sense, unless…

The _champagne_, of course. That was the most logical answer. He knew it was a bad idea, and now suddenly Misty had gotten a little bit hot from it.

"What's the matter, Ash? Aren't you feeling well?" she asked. "Or maybe… you just don't find me attractive at all?"

"What? NO!" he almost shouted, and immediately lowered his voice. "I assure you that's not the case… at all."

Even if he said otherwise when they were kids, Misty was beautiful, and that dress she was wearing made it clear. Heck, anything she wore would fit her… barring counted exceptions like that one time she painted her face and looked like a clown, ruining her natural beauty.

"So then? Are you a man or a Torchic?"

If people said alcohol would bring out people's hidden sides, it seemed obvious. This wasn't his idea of spending the anniversary night. He just wanted a romantic and quiet dinner… and something else if they weren't outside, where someone could potentially see or find them, or worse, arrest them for doing something they shouldn't do in public.

"Misty… this isn't the right place for…"

"Aw, can it!" she shouted. "If you don't do it, _I _will!"

And before Ash could protest, Misty grabbed him by the bowtie and tried to pull him towards her. There was no point in trying to resist as she pulled not just with the arms, but with her whole body. He couldn't compete with that kind of strength.

However, something neither of them anticipated, was that when she stepped back to pull him, one of Misty's heels hit a slightly off-place tile, and to make it worse she tangled over her dress' tail. As soon as the redhead's eyes filled with shock at the imminent fall, Ash snapped out of his own stupor and forgetting for a moment what happened a few seconds before, only one thought remained in his mind.

He had to catch Misty before she fell and hit her head, or worse.

He jumped forward and reached with both hands to catch her, but unfortunately his own foot tripped too (with the same tile, no less) and although he managed to hold her shoulder with one hand, the other missed its mark, landing on perhaps the worst place.

_***SHRRRRIIPPP! THUD!***_

"Owww…"

They both ended up painfully on the ground. Misty's following groaning he overheard clued him that, at least, she was still conscious. He took a few seconds before he opened his eyes to face her.

"Are… are you okay?"

They both were so close, they could feel each other's breath. For a moment they stared at each other's eyes, almost without blinking. Just like at the beach, except worse, since there was nothing nearby to interrupt it… or stop it.

At least until Misty blinked several times and looked down, specifically at her own cleavage… and then Ash realized something else. He was seeing a dark blue cloth instead of aquamarine. That wasn't the fabric of Misty's dress.

'_Oh crap,'_ was the only thing the dark-haired boy thought. His hand landed on the dress' cleavage of all places, and unwittingly he ripped off a more than considerable part of it. Luckily for him Misty was wearing her bra underneath.

"Ahem."

An unknown voice snapped the couple from their shock. They turned around to see an older couple, a man and a woman possibly in their forties who just happened to be walking by. Great, now it turned out their little show had spectators.

"It's not like we're judging you guys, but if you wish to intimate, at least do so at a less public location."

And without further ado, they continued on their way just like that. Ash and Misty remained there just a few more seconds, until their brains finally reacted and told them what to do. First, to get out of that embarrassing position at once.

Ash was the first to stand up, while Misty remained kneeled for a bit as she tried to untangle her skirt from her legs. Then, once she fully became aware of her cleavage's exposure, she crossed her arms to cover herself.

Knowing that he had to help his girl to protect her modesty, Ash immediately took his jacket off and offered it, not daring to look at her in the eyes. She accepted it without a word, as well as the hand to help her back on her feet.

"I think… we should go back to the restaurant," Ash said with a shaky voice. "The car will come pick us up at any moment."

"Yeah… I agree." She nodded.

Again, he offered his arm, which she gladly accepted, but on the way back, neither dared to make visual contact with the other. They remained still, almost rigid in front of the restaurant's entrance without uttering a word, until the car came for them.

The trip back to the villa would be much, much longer. What a way to end their anniversary dinner.

* * *

_**Later that night…**_

Ash couldn't stop rolling all over his bed. He rested sideways, on his back, he tried covering his head with the pillow, but nothing helped him sleep. It was saying a lot that not even counting Mareep seemed to work.

He and Misty hadn't crossed any words in the past few hours. As soon as they reached the villa, they paid the chauffer and once the car was out of sight, they both went to their respective rooms without saying anything. Surely enough she, like him, thought it was better to wait until morning to talk about what happened.

For all the good it did to them anyway.

"Mm… nnghhh… Aw, screw it!" he finally shouted as he stood up from the bed.

There was no point in waiting it out. They both knew they needed to talk about that sooner than later, and the more they pushed it the worse it'd be. Throwing the blankets aside and donning his slippers, he readied to exit the room, still wearing his lightning-bolt pajamas.

Ash couldn't feel any more grateful for the resort area for the Pokémon. Had any of them been there to see what happened, they'd hardly allow them to live it down. Right now all they needed was as much privacy to settle that matter once and for all.

However, before he exited, he saw the little package Delia had sent him on the table. He struggled with himself for a moment, questioning whether he was going to need them, if they were just going to talk… but that conversation could easily end up turning into something else.

He finally decided "what the heck"; there was no point in having them there if he wasn't planning on using them. Might as well practice how to put them on.

'_These things are rather annoying,'_ he thought. Somehow, wearing it made him feel more "protected", silly as it sounded. Pulling those thoughts out of his mind, once he felt ready, he left the room and walked across the hallway.

Once he was in front of the door to Misty's room and raised his hand, the only thing left to do was to knock. However, he held his hand shortly before making contact.

'_Wonder if she's upset.'_

He wouldn't blame her if she was. Not only he left her embarrassingly exposed, but also he ruined that dress she'd probably spent a fortune on. A real shame, because it looked great on her.

Ash shook his head to drive those thoughts away. That didn't matter now; it was better to say things at once, and leave the rest in the hands of fate. Gathering up his courage, he finally knocked the door a few times.

"Misty?" he called. "Misty, can we talk?"

"Ash?" she replied from the other side almost immediately. "You're still awake too?"

The Ketchum boy was surprised a bit, and then laughed at himself. At least she wouldn't be mad because he woke her up. Maybe she was mad because she'd been waiting for him to talk.

"May I come in?" he asked, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Hold on a moment."

He overheard some movement at the other side of the door, including the switch and a few keys clinking against each other. After the amount of embarrassing moments they had, for a moment he almost thought that she wound greet him wearing some provocative lingerie, just to give him a massive nosebleed.

'_Nah, she wouldn't go that far.'_

Even so, he felt a bit relieved when Misty opened the door and he saw her in simple sleepwear: a plain yellow blouse and a pair of white shorts. While they weren't meant to be provocative, they still gave a nice view of the girl's legs and midriff.

"Come on in," she said trying to smile, although Ash could see she was somewhat forcing it. He still nodded and crossed the door, which she shut behind him.

The room wasn't that much different to his own, just as roomy and the furniture set in the same manner. The redhead sat on the edge of her bed and invited him to take a seat with her hand.

He accepted, though he did swallow a bit as he forced himself to keep visual contact. He'd never felt so nervous at being close to her, even though they weren't even making physical contact. He knew what he wanted to say, but the words didn't come out. How should he start?

"I…" he tried to say, and then she did the same, making them stop. "I wanted to say that…" It happened again, both of them spoke the same words at the same time. "What I meant to say was…"

"Aw sheesh." Misty palmed her face. "Who's gonna talk first, you or me?"

"Ladies first?" he suggested with a chuckle. Well, at least that served to break the tense atmosphere. It was a start.

"You can go first if you want," Misty said sincerely.

Ash didn't know whether he should be relieved or nervous about it. "I… I wanted to apologize. I never meant to ruin your dress or touch you that way."

"I know you didn't," she assured him. "I guess I deserved it for trying to prank you that way."

"So… you weren't getting hot at the time for the alcohol?" Ash asked. Misty giggled and shook her head. "Thank God. I was worried… _something_ could have happened then."

"You were right, that wasn't the right place," she agreed. "Though if I'm honest… I wouldn't have minded if something happened between us the other times."

Ash looked into his girlfriend's eyes. She was smiling, but it wasn't her typical flirty and mischievous smirk to tease him. It was more innocent, maybe melancholic to a degree. It somewhat reminded her of the time they said goodbye to each other the first time.

Both remained silent for a moment. The boy tried to sort out his ideas before going for the main topic, but he knew he had to say something to eliminate that uncomfortable tension. Neither of them liked it one bit, after all.

"Ash… I think we both know what we need to talk about," she finally said. "I'm not mad at you, if that's what you're worried about. Whatever you want to tell me, go ahead."

Their eyes met again, and as if she knew he needed to ease himself, the girl slid her hand until she placed it on top of his. A little shiver after, suddenly Ash felt relaxed at her hand's warmth and softness, which helped clear his mind.

Smiling, he finally found the words he was looking for. "Misty… during this whole year, do you think I've been a good boyfriend?"

The girl's eyes widened slightly, and she looked somewhat offended. "What kind of question is that? You should know that already."

"Just answer me, okay? And be sincere about it," he insisted. Even if she was right about it, he needed to hear it straight from her mouth. He didn't want to take things for granted.

Misty sighed, but she finally gave her answer. "The best ever, Ash. True, you're far from perfect and you can work on some things, but you work to make me happy, and that's what matters."

"Even if sometimes I need to borrow money or places to make you a gift?" he joked. She then replied with a playful nudge on the arm.

"It's the thought that counts," she said, then immediately assumed a serious expression. "But we both know that's not what you're worried about. Come on, spill the beans."

"Promise you won't get mad?" Ash insisted, and Misty just rolled her eyes at his evasive. "Fine, fine, I get it. No more dabbling."

Ash waited a few moments as he waited for his girlfriend's demeanor to soften up completely. The best he could do was to be sincere with himself and her. After all, honesty had been the basis of their relationship from the beginning.

"I'll be frank, I don't know what's wrong with me," he confessed. "This year we've been together has been awesome, and every day I fall in love with you even more. But the last few months… I've been having other kinds of thoughts about you."

"What kind of thoughts?" she asked. Her glance was not an accusing one, but more like she knew what he was going to say, yet wanted to confirm it herself.

"Very… intimate thoughts," Ash finally said, forcing the words out of his throat. "Look, I'm a man, you're a beautiful woman, and I obviously… aw, why is it so hard to say it? What I'm trying to get at is…"

"You want to make love to me?" she completed. Somehow, hearing it from Misty's mouth made it sound less indecent than inside his head. "Let me guess, you're worried about the extramarital sex issue?"

"There's that too," he admitted. There was that capacity she had to sometimes know him better than himself, something he loved about her. "But also, there are times when I kiss or I touch you, I feel this desire to hold you in my arms and never let you go. To have you just for myself and… I think you understand what I'm getting at."

"Yeah, I get it." She nodded. "Truth be told… I had noticed for a while. I was waiting for you to take that step, so we can take our relationship to the next level."

"I… I didn't know if you wanted to." He looked away.

The girl then exhaled a deep sigh. "Ash, do you think those times, at the beach, in the bathroom, and today at the park, were just to get a reaction out of you?" At his inquisitive glare, she was forced to concede. "Alright, I admit it is fun to see you so flustered, but…"

Misty paused before continuing. Considering how blunt she could be to speak her mind, it was weird to see her taking such a coy and timid attitude. Ash didn't dare pressure her, so he waited patiently until she decided to continue talking.

"I told you, I wouldn't have minded if something happened between us at the beach, or in the bathroom. And tonight, when I said that I wanted you… I wasn't lying," she admitted, twiddling with her fingers.

The brunet looked at his redhead once more. Had she really felt the same way he did this whole time? And all those embarrassing situations, she was intentionally pushing him to give the definitive step?

Well, that definitely was like her; she'd always throw very direct indirects at him in regards to her feelings, yet he still had his head in the clouds and never got the message. It was the same this time… in a more adult-rated version.

"So… is it normal that I have these urges inside?" he asked. "Because sometimes… I felt disgusted when I realized I was seeing you that way."

"Ash, were you paying attention?" she said a bit annoyed. "I'd be more worried if you _didn't _have them. I would think that… you didn't want me or something."

"No, no, no, I didn't mean that!" he frantically said, fearing he had offended her. Seeing her sad face, Ash's reaction was to hold her by the shoulders.

The matter was getting more and more complicated. He never had relationships with anybody, and he never paid attention in the Sex Ed classes at school, which now was biting him royally in the ass. So many years of travelling and ignoring the female appeal had made his experience completely zero in that area. Now he finally wanted to explore it, he wasn't sure how to start, and that frustrated him to no end.

Misty finally looked back at him and smiled. Only this time, she'd taken her usual flirty smile.

"So… you want to use Delia's little gift?" she asked, catching him off-guard. Ash almost gasped and Misty laughed. "Oh, come on, don't believe for a second I didn't notice it the first time. Not like you should be ashamed, you're not the only one who's taking some extra precautions. Here, take a look at this."

The girl pulled out of her night table's drawer a small box. The boy saw the label with confusion, until he realized they were contraceptive pills. He chuckled; both his mother and Misty would always think about everything.

"Don't get me wrong, it'll be great to make a family together… when we're ready," she emphasized. "Until then, some practice won't hurt."

"I guess so, but… I've never done this with anybody," Ash confessed a little ashamed.

He almost expected Misty to laugh at him, but he wouldn't care anyway. There was no point in trying to play it up when his experience was completely null. Part of that could be blamed on him being mostly uninterested in relationships, and part him always having, deep inside, only one girl he'd like to be with.

To his surprise, Misty didn't laugh. Instead she looked at him with compassion as she came closer, making him shiver a little when they touched each other.

"If it helps, neither do I. When I was with… _him,_" she emphasized making a face of clear disgust, "he told me he didn't want to rush things, so he preferred to wait until we got married. I don't know if that was him playing his perfect boyfriend role a bit too well, but I'm glad he did."

The girl hugged herself, trying to shake off the chill going down her spine just at the thought. Ash admitted to be just a bit surprised, considering the kind of person they were talking about. On the other hand, the realization that Misty didn't have anything with that guy made him feel equally relieved for her, and angry at himself for the selfish thought of being her first.

After she calmed down, Misty then continued. "Point is, many couples do it before marriage. Daisy told me once that having sex with your partner is not just your body, but also your heart."

"The heart?" Ash asked with curiosity.

"Yeah. What matters is love, the feeling behind the act," she said as she approached. "So now ask yourself this, Ash. Do you love me?"

If they were somewhere else or in other circumstances, or if it was somebody else asking, Ash would have felt greatly offended at being asked that question. But not now, as he understood Misty wasn't asking because she doubted of his feelings for her. Rather, she just was trying to help him understand them.

"Yeah, of course I love you," he declared firmly.

"And without leaving that aside… do you want me too?" the girl added.

Therein was the crux of the matter. Ash had no doubt of his feelings for Misty; he loved her dearly and he was happy to be with her. But all that time, his attraction for the girl had evolved. It was no longer just physical or emotional, but also to a different level he had difficulties to understand.

One that, while separate, was not mutually exclusive to his feelings. Rather, it made them much stronger.

"Yeah… I do want you," he whispered as he leaned in to kiss her.

**(-zXz-)**

This time he was the one to take the initiative, taking over Misty's lips. She put up no resistance and when he ventured a little more, he opened his lips slightly to try and sneak his tongue into her mouth.

Misty was briefly surprised, but she got his message and let him do as he pleased for a bit, until she started moving her own tongue as if trying to compete. Both of them became locked in a duel trying to push the other back to their own mouth.

After being that way for a bit, Misty leaned forward, placing her hand on his chest and pushing him softly, until he ended up backwards against the bed. The girl fit herself until she was on all fours on top of him as if to hold him in place; not like he wanted to escape or something. He took some enjoyment in gazing into her eyes, while she leaned forward to bring their faces together and her hair rubbed his face, tickling him.

She was so close he could even smell the flowery scent in the girl's hair. It was sweet and intoxicating.

"What are you playing?" he asked.

"I'm not playing here," she replied. "We're not kids anymore, remember?"

She then reached out for the switch on the bed's wall, turning off the lights and leaving only the lamp on the night table on. For some reason, leaving the room in such a state made it the more… he wasn't sure how to describe it. Maybe "exciting" was the word he was looking for.

Still on top of him, Misty slid her hands across his torso until she reached the lower button of his shirt. Without taking her eyes off of him, she undid it, and then went for the next and repeated the process until she got to the last one. She then slid her hands under the shirt to push it away, and softly massaged his torso.

The young man allowed himself to enjoy the girl's touch, as her hands went up and down his abs as if checking out how firm they were. Misty seemed to smile in enjoyment at what she touched, and unsatisfied with just his torso, she moved towards his shoulders, seeking to slide the shirt off of them.

"You're… ripped," she said with amusement as she touched his biceps.

"Can't stay behind you in strength, can I?"

The redhead immediately took over his lips once more. Tired of letting her do everything, Ash finally decided to pay her back and pulled his arms out of the shirt's sleeves. He then circled them around her waist to bring her closer, and his hands began exploring her body wishing to feel every inch of it.

"Hmm…" Misty moaned slightly as they kissed, turning her head away for a moment. He tried to seek her again, but she moved aside and began blowing softly into his ear, making him shiver.

'_Misty… that's a dirty move,'_ he thought, although he smiled outwardly.

In revenge, and since his hands were busy striking Misty's back, the boy took the chance to hold using his teeth one of the straps holding Misty's blouse by the neck. The knot was fortunately loose and it easily became undone, making it easy for the garment to fall off the girl's body, revealing her strapless bra underneath. When she noticed his intent, she helped him and took it off herself.

Ash barely had a moment to admire the girl's bust when she leaned forward again, forcing him back into the bed again. Giving him no time to do anything, she brought their faces together as they touched with their lips and noses. Giving in to his urges, he slid a hand over Misty's perfectly flat belly, until he reached one of her breasts…

And he abruptly pulled the hand back. It wasn't her who pushed it back; he himself pulled it. And of course, the action didn't go unnoticed, as Misty broke the kiss and pulled away to look at him.

"Ash?"

"Sorry, I just…" Unsure as to what to say, he looked away. What did he just do? They were making love, they could perfectly touch each other however they wanted and wherever they wanted.

No, that wasn't right. He had to be gentle. He couldn't touch her somewhere he'd feel uncomfortable. It was going to be their first time and he'd have to make sure it was special, for both.

Much to his surprise, Misty grabbed his hand and placed it on her breast once more, as if feeling offended that he pulled it back. She even went a little further and squeezed slightly. Even though the bra's cloth he could feel it: it was soft yet firm. And it felt nice to the touch.

"Can you feel it, Ash?" she suddenly asked.

"Feel? Feel what?" he said, puzzled.

Misty snickered and shook her head. "My heart. Feel it, feel its beat."

And then Ash understood. Indeed, Misty's heartbeat was picking up. He felt his own heart increasing its beat with each second, in excitement at what was happening between them.

It was for that same reason he felt somewhat scared. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable, and he'd heard the first time was a bit painful, especially for the woman. After hurting Misty so much over the years, he didn't feel the courage to do something like that.

"Ash, you don't have to worry," she whispered, reading his thoughts. "I'll let you know if I'm feeling uncomfortable, okay? Please go on."

She emphasized her words with a kiss to his neck, giving him a little nibble as she tickled him with the tongue. Now what, she was playing vampire or something? He had to choke a laugh at that thought.

Somewhat emboldened, he slid his hands down to the girl's hips, specifically to the edges of her shorts. Like her blouse, they had a knotted strap holding them in place, and he carefully untied it. No longer content with just looking, Ash deliberately placed his hands on Misty's butt cheeks as he stripped her of the garments. He would never admit that out loud, but he always found that part of her body eye-catching, even when they were kids. He'd spared a glance or two when he thought she wasn't looking.

Despite his rather daring action, she didn't react negatively to his touching of her bums and thighs. Under that perfect skin the redhead hid a bit of muscle, which was no surprise considering how much she worked out. She could have been an Olympic swimmer or a swimsuit model, or maybe both, as she had both the strength and beauty needed.

Misty kicked of her shorts out of her legs and embraced him tightly for another kiss, more passionate than the previous ones. The boy felt how she pressed her chest against his torso, and suddenly that piece of cloth getting between them became a liability. Well, the next step was to get rid of it, thus Ash then slid his hand towards the redhead's back.

And then he found, or rather, _didn't find _something that should be there.

"Hmm…" She pulled away to look at him with a mischievous smirk. "Is there a problem?"

"Well…" Ash didn't know what to say, but she caught the message. The girl smirked again and rose until she was sitting on top of him, giving him a full view of her face and body.

"The clasp's on the front," she mockingly said as she pointed between her breasts.

"Oh…" Ash quickly got the message.

He quickly unclasped the garment, opening it wide to leave Misty's bust free in all its glory for him to behold. The Cerulean girl wasn't exaggeratedly buxom, but she was the perfect size for a girl her with her height and build.

Suddenly, she became self-conscious and abruptly covered herself with her arms, looking away coyly. Even with the scarce light, Ash could see a little pink tint on her cheeks.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"The… the tan lines," Misty said. "How embarrassing, please don't look."

"Why? What's wrong with them?"

Misty pouted slightly. Ash didn't see the trouble, and when the girl didn't respond, he carefully pulled his legs from under her, and raised until they were at the same height. Without further words, he simply kissed her on the cheek and embraced her.

"Ash?"

"Misty, your body is beautiful, there's nothing to be ashamed of," he whispered to her ear, then pulled away to face her. "Besides, I think those tan lines look cute on you."

"Hmm… even so, could you close your eyes?" she asked, much to his confusion. "You can touch me if you want, but… it's a little embarrassing that you look at me."

He didn't get why she asked him that; Misty was an attractive girl and she had the rights to feel proud of it. Still, if that made her happy, he'd comply: he shut his eyes and reached out for the redhead's body until he reached her breasts, so as to feel them again without any restriction.

She arched backwards and moaned as Ash stroked, squeezed and massaged them.

"Ahh… yes… yes…"

While the girl gasped in pleasure, Ash had to resist the temptation to open his eyes. He really wanted to see her, even though feeling her was already an incredible experience in itself. But as much as he enjoyed touching her, he didn't want to feel confined. He wanted to experience every part of his beloved's body.

They kissed once more, and he held her head from behind with one hand while the other continued to squeeze her breasts with desire. They both let out moans choked out by the little duel that had ensued between their tongues and lips, desperately seeking to take over. This time, Ash inverted their positions and had her rest backwards on the bed. The girl took the chance to remove his pants, leaving him just in his boxers.

The two stopped for a moment to breathe, and stared into each other's eyes. They were just halfway through, but until now… well, Ash couldn't say he hadn't enjoyed the ride. And judging by Misty's face, she felt the same way.

Though after a bit, she covered her bust with her arms again, this time for no apparent reason. He stared at her, and judging by the way she looked at and touched herself, and then looked at him with a thoughtful expression, she seemed to be up to something.

It was even weirder when, keeping one of her arms on her chest, she reached out with the other to touch him, first over the shoulder and then across his back.

Before he could ask any questions, she spoke again. "Ash… can you turn around and lay down for a bit?"

"For what?"

"Humor me, will you?" she insisted.

Still unsure as to what she was up to, he turned around and laid down. The answer came shortly after, as the girl rested on top of him and rubbed her body against his. Or more specifically, she rubbed her breasts against his back. As she did so, she occasionally stopped to give him some kisses and whisper some loving words at his ears.

The trainer snickered, questioning if this was what she had in mind when she offered to wash his back before. Besides, with his back turned to her he was unable to take a look. A rather interesting way to play "Look-But-Don't-Touch".

'_Clever girl,' _Ash thought. Admittedly, he was starting to become annoyed that she wouldn't let him take a look, but that thought actually increased his desires to see her in all her splendor.

Knowing her, that was likely her intention from the beginning.

The desires within Ash began increasing, and he felt his body heating up. Not exactly because it was hot outside, but something coming from within. Something he always had in the deepest part of himself but never fully understood, and even to date he still had trouble grasping it.

But he was clear about something: he knew what it was, and what he had to do with it.

As Misty continued her, Ash held her head and gave her a surprise kiss on the lips again. This caught the girl off-guard, and she couldn't react when he inverted the positions and placed her under him. All the while she was the one having control of their little game, and now he wanted to pay her back in full.

He slowly went down the girl's neck, whose heavy breathing was echoing across the room as he did so. Now his lips wanted to explore that pleasurable terrain, going down slowly until they touched the small cherry pink button on her right breast.

The girl's body trembled slightly, cluing him in that he touched a sensitive area, but she neither said anything nor did any movement to push him away. Even so, if he made her uncomfortable or whatever, he'd stop immediately.

The boy's lips gently touched his beloved's nipple, making her moan in pleasure with each touch. Going a little bit further, he tried to kiss it, softly tapping it with the tip of his tongue as he briefly sucked on it.

"Ahh…" the girl moaned even louder than before.

"Did you like that?" he asked as he looked up.

"Ahh… yeah," she whispered with a smile.

That was enough, and he immediately repeated his action, leaving his lips there a little longer. The girl moaned in pleasure again, and for equal treatment, after a few minutes he moved on to the other nipple, kissing it as softly and tenderly as he could. The moans and gasps coming out of his beautiful mermaid did nothing but encourage him to keep giving her that pleasure.

The excitement in both was almost palpable in the air. At this point, the trainer had lost all but one of his doubts, simply letting his feelings take over. And once he was face to face with his beloved, he knew she felt the same way.

"I can't hold on anymore, Misty. I need you, I want to be with you, to share everything with you, to make our lives one. I want to show you how much I love and desire you."

He wasn't sure where those words came from, but as selfish as it sounded, that was what he felt. He loved Misty with every part of himself, and he regretted all those lost years for never realizing, for thinking of everything they could have done together, of how they could have been something else than just best friends.

"You idiot, you think you haven't shown me that enough?" Misty said, holding his cheeks to bring their faces even closer. "Ash, my love and my heart have always been for you, they'll always be. You've done more than enough to deserve it."

They kissed once more. Misty's words had made it clear: any issues they had in the past were just that, the past. Now they were together, and nothing would break them apart.

They finally gave to their bodies' urges, to eliminate the last obstacle that prevented them from becoming one. Without missing a beat, they both took the last garment from their partner and removed it, leaving them both completely exposed. Taking a deep breath, they lined up their hips, ready to consummate their act of love definitely.

The young man from Pallet Town felt the redhead tense slightly when they made contact, but she relaxed almost immediately, making it easier for him. She even joked about how he was "prepared with extra protection". The girl's face had blushed intensely, and he felt his own burning as well. This wouldn't be easy for any of them, and he wasn't fully sure as to what to do now.

Perceiving his doubt, the Cerulean girl grabbed him with arms and legs, bringing him closer to her and pushing him to come forward. That made him feel at ease; he couldn't navigate that unexplored terrain by himself. The girl did her best to guide his movements, and he chose to simply pledge to her wishes. That would be the best choice.

He started slowly, using as little force as possible to avoid pressuring her. A few minutes later that wasn't enough and he begged him to go a bit harder. When he tried to protest she insisted and he finally gave in.

Until he suddenly found a barrier stopping him. The boy swallowed hard; he knew what it meant.

"Misty?"

"Don't stop now," she said. "We're so close…"

"But that's gonna hurt. A lot."

"I know. But I'd rather have it with you. I don't want anybody else."

The dark-haired young man looked away for a moment. They were about to consummate their act, to graduate from best-friends-turned-sweethearts to become true lovers. That was the last obstacle, and he knew he was perfectly able to overcome it. Why was it so hard to make the effort?

"Ash." The girl's voice sounded a lot more determined. "Since I've known you, you've never let anything or anyone stop you. You always take everything all the way until the end."

"This is different," he defended himself. "Hurting you is something I don't…"

"Ash," she interrupted him again, "don't hesitate. The time has come, so just act."

The words got the gears moving in the trainer's head. The matter of hurting his mermaid, even if only for a moment, was something that continued to haunt him at times. No matter how many times she reminded him that he never hurt her intentionally, it still weighed in his conscience.

It was a burden that prevented him from progressing in their relationship, just because it would stop him from consummating this act of love, even knowing they both desired it.

Was she really that determined? Was she willing to endure an unspeakable pain just for his sake? He was moved; if that wasn't a proof of true love, he didn't know what it was.

"You sure this is what you want?"

"It's what _we both_ want," she emphasized.

There was no turning back now. Words were superfluous now; all he could do was act and hope for the best.

Determined, Ash resumed his movements. The barrier resisted his attempts, and peeking through a squinted eye he caught a glimpse of Misty's face morphing into pain, as she bit her lower lip to stop herself from screaming. The girl's body tensed for moments, and he paused momentarily so as to avoid hurting her more than necessary.

Seeing that it didn't work, Ash chose to push a little harder. The girl held onto him, unwittingly clawing her nails into his shoulders. He couldn't deny that hurt a lot, but then he thought that was probably nothing compared to the pain she was probably feeling right now. So he held on, clenched his teeth and did nothing but groan.

"Ash… I'm sorry, I… aahh!"

Misty's apologize was interrupted when he finally broke through. The girl couldn't hold it anymore and allowed herself one single long and sharp cry of pain. It was just an instant, but to Ash it was heart-wrenching. More because he knew _he _had been responsible for it than the reaction itself.

She took a few seconds to relax and release her nails. They wouldn't leave any marks, and even then, he wouldn't care. It was a fair punishment for making her suffer.

For a moment, the couple remained motionless. The redhead was breathing heavily and some tears were running down her cheeks. She was a strong girl and did her best to endure, but Ash knew that _had _to hurt and she couldn't hide.

"Misty, are you…?"

She opened her eyes, and after catching her breath she smiled, touched by his worry. "It… it's okay. The pain… is gone. Please go on…"

Relieved, he nodded, and answered his girlfriend's call. The girl held onto him as tightly as possible, finally surrendering to her desires. The pain vanished completely making way for an unimaginable pleasure, the feeling of two beings becoming one in body and soul, bonded by the desires and feelings they'd harbored inside for so long.

"Ash… oh, Ash…"

He felt even more encouraged when his beautiful mermaid called out his name. She desired him, desired him as much as he did her. He wished that night never ended; he wanted to be like that, bonded to his beloved for all eternity and never be apart again. It was a feeling unlike any other.

"Misty… I can't… hold anymore…" he said as he held her tightly.

"Me neither… ah… aahhh… AAAHHH!"

And with that scream, both bodies were rendered motionless. It was like their remaining energy focused on the point the two of them had become one, and suddenly unleashed in a single burst. A feeling of ecstasy coursed through them from head to toe, briefly disconnecting them from the rest of the world. It was just him, her, and the incredible feeling of merging momentarily into one being.

**(-zXz-)**

Once he came to his senses again, Ash removed himself from being on top of Misty so she could move freely again. At the same time, he removed the already used up protection and tied it up, before dropping it on the trash can next to the bed. It came in handy after all.

They both grabbed the blanket's edges to cover themselves. Neither was able to utter a word; they were content with getting lost in each other's eyes. Ash's chocolate orbs didn't lose sight of Misty's aquamarine ones, almost without blinking as if he feared that everything would vanish like a dream if he closed them.

"How do you feel?" she finally asked, smiling cheekily to break the silence.

"Like I climbed Mt. Coronet. But I'd gladly do it again."

Misty giggled, and reached out a hand to stroke his face. Just now Ash realized how smooth and warm her hands were, just like the rest of her body. Even without making contact, he could still feel her warmth just by being close to her.

"Thank you," she whispered. "You have no idea how much I've dreamt of this moment."

"Really?" Ash asked. "Was it how you dreamt it?"

"Nope." She rested against her chest. "It was even better."

He smiled, and then surrounded his mermaid's waist with his arms, as he stroked her hair with the other hand. He felt the same way, it was even better than he imagined. In the end, most of his fears were unfounded. Even if he couldn't avoid causing pain to Misty for that brief moment, everything that came afterwards rendered it little more than an insignificant footnote.

'_Well, so much for our first time,'_ Ash thought. _'At least the next time we won't have to worry about that.'_

With that thought, he placed himself in the most comfortable position he found along with his beloved, and whispering a "Goodnight" to her ear, he let himself fall asleep. It'd been a tiresome day, but he couldn't think of a better way to conclude their anniversary night.

* * *

_**The next morning…**_

Ash never had such a relaxing sleep ever before. He didn't open his eyes until the light filtering through the window hit him in the face, and even then he tried to resist.

"Hmm…" He moved carefully as he took to his surroundings.

Misty was still cuddling to him, both of them still only covered in blankets. The room was so quiet he could still hear the girl's steady breathing. Trying to avoid waking her up, Ash softly pushed away the hair bangs covering her face to see it better, and smiled. She looked so sweet and innocent, it was hard to believe she was one of the strongest Kanto Gym Leaders.

'_Should I really wake her up? She seems to be having very pleasant dreams.'_

Indeed, the girl muttered his name in her sleep, and let out some giggles. Whatever it was, she seemed to be enjoying herself, and Ash wondered if it'd be okay to interrupt her fantasies.

Then again, why should she be content with a fantasy, if he could gladly make it real for her? He softly poked her cheek with a finger, but the girl groaned and refused to open her eyes.

"C'mon, Misty, wake up," he insisted.

"Hmm…" Misty raised her eyelids, revealing her aquamarine orbs, which upon gazing on her boyfriend's eyes brought out a sweet smile to her face. "Morning. Did you have a nice sleep?"

"Best I've ever had. You?" he asked. In response, she simply held him by the cheeks and kissed him softly, although she held on for a bit. "Wow, what was that for?"

"Nothing. Just a reminder of how much I love you."

Ash smirked, and let her rest her head onto his chest, while he idly stroke her hair. Judging by the window's light, it probably was late, but he wanted to enjoy that moment a little more. Being there with Misty, without a care for anything or anyone else, it was the most beautiful feeling he had ever experienced.

Alas, they couldn't stay there forever, since they both had things to do. Ash grabbed his boxers (conveniently, they'd fallen next to the bed), and after putting them back on he walked towards the door. Misty also rose, using the sheets to cover herself without leaving the bed yet.

"I'll go get my stuff to take a bath, and then after breakfast I'll go fetch our Pokémon from the resort area," he said.

"Wouldn't you like it if we bathed together," she not-so-innocently suggested. "My offer to wash your back is still open."

Ash chuckled. "As much as I'd love that, no thanks. Don't get me wrong, last night was wonderful, but… I wouldn't like to become addict to it. Good stuff with moderation, right?"

Misty sighed and pouted, but she nodded. "Alright. I'll stay here around for a while longer, if you don't mind."

"Thanks for understanding," he said as he gave her another kiss and picked up his discarded clothes.

Though when he picked up his shirt, Misty grabbed it before he took it.

"What are you doing?"

"Leave it here for me. I'll give it back later, okay?"

Ash arched an eyebrow, but after a few seconds he relented. He didn't know why Misty wanted his shirt, but he finally gave in to her pleading look. He still had to take a bath and get a change of clothes before going to get their Pokémon.

As he walked back to his room, Ash's thoughts drifted to the night before. In the end, it was nowhere near as bad as he thought. Barring that brief instant when he caused Misty to cry out in so much pain, he wouldn't have changed that special moment.

But really, after such pleasure, he knew better than to abuse it. Another day, he'd gladly take Misty's offer, but for today, there were many other ways to show affection.

…

Once Ash left to get their Pokémon at the resort area, Misty walked around the house dressed only with his shirt and her underwear. She didn't tell him at the time, but she found it rather funny he had lightning-bolt pajamas even into his twenties.

Even so, wearing a piece of Ash's clothes, still somewhat impregnated in his essence, that was something she'd wanted to do for a long time. Now she could cross it out from her personal desires and fantasies list.

This time the brunet did prepare sandwiches for both of them, and she was calmly eating hers until she overheard a beeping sound nearby. She frantically searched for the source, until she saw a blinking light over the kitchen's table.

"Hmm? That's…" Leaving the sandwich aside she realized it was Ash's high-tech cellphone. After hesitating for a bit whether she should answer or not, she grabbed it and saw the ID called labeled with Cynthia's name. "Now, what's the button to answer the call?"

She pressed the one that looked the most obvious, and much to her surprise the holographic screen popped out, showing the Sinnoh Champion's face. She briefly raised her eyebrows upon seeing her, and Misty was grateful that Ash's shirt was long enough to fully cover her.

"Oh, hi Misty," she greeted. "Wasn't this Ash's number?"

"He's out for a bit. Seems he forgot the phone," Misty explained. "Do you need to talk to him?"

"No, not really," Cynthia said. "Sorry for the inconvenience, just wanted to see how things are going over there. Have you guys had a good time?"

"Of course." Misty smiled. "Really, thank you for letting us borrow the place."

"Think nothing of it, anything for my friends," the Champion shrugged it off. "Besides, I don't use it often, it's a bit too big for myself."

"No kidding, even for the two of us this place feels huge," Misty agreed. "But well, I wouldn't mind having one of my own. It's great for vacations with the man I love."

"I could help you get one," Cynthia said. "So… did you guys have your first night yet, hmm? Was the bed cozy enough for the two of you?"

The blonde's question caught her off-guard. Misty's face turned a deeper shade of red than her hair, and she regretted not to know where the audio-only button was before answering the call. She'd have to ask Ash to teach her how to use that trinket.

"I d-don't know w-what you…"

"Oh, come on, Misty," Cynthia interrupted her with an amused expression. "I know you; you're not the type who'd normally wear lightning-bolt pajamas. It's not that easy to put two and two together."

Misty glanced at the shirt and sighed. "That obvious? I'm really sorry, I assure you we tried to avoid making much of a mess in the bedroom."

"Oh, I'm not judging," the blonde said in a cheerful tone. "Actually, I'd be more worried if you didn't do it. It's nice to see your relationship goes so smoothly."

The Sinnohan Champion winked at her, and the redhead couldn't help but smile. She was surprised Cynthia was so open and understanding so as to even lend them her villa just so they had a place to intimate. Not a behavior people would expect from the strongest trainer in her region, but then again, Ash always had a knack to attract very peculiar friends, no matter where he went.

"Ah, by the way, I forgot to tell you something," Cynthia suddenly said, interrupting Misty's internal musing. "By mistake I left a package of Casteliacones in the freezer, would you be so kind and not eat them all?"

"Huh? The… Casteliacones?" Misty asked.

"You can grab one or two if you want, but please don't eat them all," Cynthia added. "Tonight I'm taking a flight to Unova to attend some business, so I'll stop by to pick them up."

Misty swallowed, how was she supposed to explain to her there was not even one left? Even without counting the ones they took for the beach on the first day, she had eaten no less than three per day. Even Ash had relatively held back on that, but there was no argument to defend the fact that in only seven days a package of thirty Casteliacones was all gone now.

"Ah, yeah… about that… hum…" Misty tried to get her brain running, trying to think about something. If Cynthia wasn't bothered at them having sex in her villa, surely she wouldn't get mad over something as silly as some ice-creams, right?

"Misty… did you eat them all?" Suddenly, Cynthia's voice was no longer as jovial and friendly as before. Now it sounded stoic and somewhat gelid.

"Er, well… I wouldn't say I ate them all," the redhead replied nervously. That was true, _she _didn't eat them all. Just about a 70%, while the rest had been eaten by Ash.

"Did you at least leave some for me?" Cynthia said as she approached the screen.

For whatever reason, Misty could have sworn she saw a tiny vein bulging on her temple.

"Ah, look at the time! I need to get our Pokémon back from the resort! Talk to you later, bye!"

And with a single *click*, Misty ended the call, though she still caught something Cynthia tried to shout a second before she did so. She immediately ran off to her room to get dressed and go out. How the hell did they end up in that pinch?

"Casteliacones, they taste so good… BUT THEY COST SO BAD!"

Cynthia said she'd take the flight tonight, meaning she still had about 24 to solve this mess. Surely between her and Ash they could find an ice-cream parlor that sold them, and luckily that would spare them from the Sinnoh Champion's wrath.

She'd just celebrated her first anniversary night with Ash. She had no intention to let that wonderful night they shared to be the last one.

**FIN**

* * *

**Author's notes:**

Well, it's official, I finally broke the T rating on my fics and went up for the M one. Not even I can believe it, but since I came back to Fanfiction I've tried to leave my comfort zones and explore other terrains, and I think this was a big step for someone like me. Yeah sure, I've read my share of lime and lemon, but I never dared to try it myself until now. I'd like to thank my friends at the Telegram for the help they gave me while making this oneshot, **Goddess Artemiss**, **Shadechu Nightray **and** Suki90, **their feedback for the *ahem* smut scene. Also thanks to **PinkStar, **whogave me some suggestions for the scene where Misty's little prank goes wrong. Helped me build it in my head. They're all excellent betas, so I owe it to them. Thank you girls!

So, here I tried to give a more humor-oriented approach, contrasting with the drama from the prequel and show Ash and Misty as a stable and happy couple, if still somewhat unexperienced about some things. In fact, much of the difficulty in writing them was showing them as rookies in their first time, inexpert yet curious, so I value a lot that my friends above helped me write that part, being the central piece after all.

So, I guess that's all wrapped up. Thanks for reading, and before I go, see if somebody can catch the hidden Star Fox reference somewhere. I might offer something good if you guess it right. Until next time!


End file.
